This is freakin' unreal!

[Silver Bullet]

Last night I attempted to remove my plugs to clean oil off them, and something unbelievable happened. I inserted my socket onto the plug, and began turning it to the left to remove it. It felt perfectly normal turning, and I was at a loss as to why it kept getting harder to turn the more I tried. Somehow the socket has become absolutely locked onto the spark plug, and has wedged itself so well in there that two garages tried their hardest to remove it and failed. One mechanic used at least 8 different tools and still couldn't get it loose. It will NOT move left, right, up, down, or even turn anymore. It's my only method of transportation, so I am now driving it as is... The plug is the front right one if you're standing in front of the engine nearest the throttle body. The car is running on strictly prayer & 5 cylinders right now, and will continue to do so until God provides another. I am not capable of getting another one financially....

Just thought I'd see if anyone else had this happen to them?

 

[shofan33]

How the **** did the socket get stuck. Did you try lightly tapping it downwards toward the engine and loosen it upwards. I think i phrased this right. Good luck

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

did you use a socket with an oversized body and it got wedged in the well? Or did you use a socket that is the wrong size entirely and it seized in the well? Sounds like it was the wrong socket of some sort.

Tips to get it out: I would use an aerosol like a computer duster flipped upside down to get the socket super cold. This will cause it to contract and possibly make it easier to turn.

You could also try to fish a long rod with a hooked end down inside of the socket. Grab the other end of the rod with vise grips and use a hammer to tap the vise-grips upward. THe rapping on the vise-grips could shock the socket upwards.

If that doesnt work you might try a breaker bar to turn it COUNTERCLOCKWISE ONLY!! You dont want to try to break it free by turning it too much to the right a you could inadvertantly strip the head.

Good luck

 

[zuup_2000]

Try removing the valve cover. Maybe its wedged up underneath the lip of the cover, and will come loose when you back the valve cover bolts out.

 

[92ShoOff]

I'm not sure if you've tried this already but what you probably need is leverage on that socket to break it loose... that said, add as many extensions as you can and try to get maybe at least 12-16" worth on there, and use your hands to wobble extension(s) around while it's placed inside the socket and that should bust it free. Even squirting some WD-40 into the socket before doing this should make things easier.

When wiggling the extension don't pull too far on it, just wiggle it in short movements with a good bit of force that way you don't break the socket or even worse, the spark plug. When removing a socket from a bolt I've ALWAYS found leverage to do the job. Vise grips just don't cut it forse something like that. Hope that helps!

-Andrew

 

[ohfosho]

honestly soak it with wd40 and then do your worst with COUNTER_CLOCKWISE motions with the ratchet and socket...

is the socket stuck on the sparkplug??? if not, just put the sparkplug boot-wire back on and your car should be running on 6 cyl. albiet not the most efficent spark with the plug 1/2 way outa the well

 

[Off Road SHO]

If you took it to real mechanics, I'm sure they had one of these tools, but just in case they didn't. There is slide hammer type of tool that has a bent tip on it. It's for removing the outer bearing race from the inside of axle housings. If there is any kind of a stepped edge inside the socket, this type of slide hammer will remove it.

Tom

 

[shoebilly]

You may need to seek help outside of Festus, Mo.

 

[Sh03d]

This happened to me with at school with some other Asian car. Some kid used to large of a socket and it got wedged down so tight you couldn't get it out even with a locking extension and a pry bar. We ended up getting a impact and set it counterclockwise wise and went at it. The socket slowly spun its self out. I'm sure things can go wrong with doing this but it didn't for us. If you have no other ideas give it a try. But be careful.

 

[etc1006]

Is it a spark plug socket (with the insulator foam)? I did some cleaning a couple of weeks ago and my socket went into the wells just fine with plenty of play on the O.D... I did have a little bit of a tough time getting it to pop off the first 2 upon reinstalling. I cleaned the socket out real good and had no problem from there on. If they did pull off the extension I just barely turned it clockwise and she pulled right out.

 

[Racer X]

If the socket walls were thin enough, a possibility would be that the plug seized up in the hole, and the socket expanded from the attempts to turn the socket while seized in the hole, effectively wedging it in the spark plug bore.

Did I mention that it was an extremely small possibility?